Uninstaller

Last updated

An uninstaller, also called a deinstaller, is a variety of utility software designed to remove other software or parts of it from a computer. It is the opposite of an installer. Uninstallers are useful primarily when software components are installed in multiple directories, or where some software components might be shared between the system being uninstalled and other systems that remain in use.

Contents

Generic uninstallers flourished in the 1990s due to the popularity of shared libraries and the constraints of then-current operating systems, especially Microsoft Windows XP. Declining storage costs and increasing capacity subsequently made reclaiming disk space less urgent, while end-user applications have increasingly relied on simpler installation architectures that consolidate all components to facilitate removal.

Components

Typical uninstallers contain the following components: [1]

History

Prior to about the 1990s, there was no such thing as an uninstaller, as most programs were simply stored on disk and/or tape, and a program was "removed" by simply erasing it. As operating systems and applications became more complex, mere deletion of a program might be inadequate or insufficient to remove the program in its entirety. Entries might be left behind in a system database such as a registry, it may have additional data files, configuration files, sample files, etc.

Uninstall was invented by Jack Bicer. [2] [3] While he was working on Norton Desktop for Windows at Symantec, Bicer came up with the Uninstall concept and developed the first Uninstall program in 1991. [2] When published on March 23, 1992, Norton Desktop for Windows V.20 (see the official - README.TXT [4] ) was the first software package ever to include an Uninstaller, shown under the "Uninstalling Norton Desktop" section.

After the release of Norton Desktop for Windows 2.0, Ken Spreitzer, who was a tester for the product at Symantec, capitalized on the uninstall idea and wrote the first widely used PC program called "UnInstaller", initially licensed to MicroHelp and then by February 1998 sold by CyberMedia. MicroHelp published Spreitzer's program as Uninstaller version 1. In 1995, Spreitzer told The New York Times that the royalties he received from MicroHelp for Uninstaller made him a millionaire by age 30. Tim O'Pry, while president of MicroHelp, substantially rewrote the code for Uninstaller version 2, which became a best-selling program. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

Installation of a computer program, is the act of making the program ready for execution. Installation refers to the particular configuration of software or hardware with a view to making it usable with the computer. A soft or digital copy of the piece of software (program) is needed to install it. There are different processes of installing a piece of software (program). Because the process varies for each program and each computer, programs often come with an installer, a specialised program responsible for doing whatever is needed for the installation. Installation may be part of a larger software deployment process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spybot – Search & Destroy</span> Spyware removal software

Spybot – Search & Destroy (S&D) is a spyware and adware removal computer program compatible with Microsoft Windows. Dating back to the first Adwares in 2000, Spybot scans the computer hard disk and/or RAM for malicious software.

Cydoor is a spyware and adware first detected in 2003.

Norton AntiVirus is an anti-virus or anti-malware software product founded by Peter Norton, developed and distributed by Symantec since 1990 as part of its Norton family of computer security products. It uses signatures and heuristics to identify viruses. Other features included in it are e-mail spam filtering and phishing protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Installer</span> Software

Windows Installer is a software component and application programming interface (API) of Microsoft Windows used for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software. The installation information, and optionally the files themselves, are packaged in installation packages, loosely relational databases structured as COM Structured Storages and commonly known as "MSI files", from their default filename extensions. The packages with the file extensions mst contain Windows Installer "Transformation Scripts", those with the msm extensions contain "Merge Modules" and the file extension pcp is used for "Patch Creation Properties". Windows Installer contains significant changes from its predecessor, Setup API. New features include a GUI framework and automatic generation of the uninstallation sequence. Windows Installer is positioned as an alternative to stand-alone executable installer frameworks such as older versions of InstallShield and NSIS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Registry</span> Database for Microsoft Windows

The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores low-level settings for the Microsoft Windows operating system and for applications that opt to use the registry. The kernel, device drivers, services, Security Accounts Manager, and user interfaces can all use the registry. The registry also allows access to counters for profiling system performance.

Peter Norton Computing, Inc., was a software company founded by Peter Norton. The first and best known software package it produced was Norton Utilities. Another successful software package was Norton Commander, especially the DOS version. The company in this form lasted from its founding in 1982 until 1990, when it was acquired by Symantec.

Norton Internet Security, developed by Symantec Corporation, is a discontinued computer program that provides malware protection and removal during a subscription period. It uses signatures and heuristics to identify viruses. Other features include a personal firewall, email spam filtering, and phishing protection. With the release of the 2015 line in summer 2014, Symantec officially retired Norton Internet Security after 14 years as the chief Norton product. It was superseded by Norton Security, a rechristened adaptation of the Norton 360 security suite.

The idea of the removal of Internet Explorer (IE) from Windows was proposed during the United States v. Microsoft Corp. case. Later, security advocates took up the idea as a way to protect Windows systems from attacks via IE vulnerabilities.

Bifrost is a backdoor trojan horse family of more than 10 variants which can infect Windows 95 through Windows 10. Bifrost uses the typical server, server builder, and client backdoor program configuration to allow a remote attacker, who uses the client, to execute arbitrary code on the compromised machine.

The Vundo Trojan is either a Trojan horse or a computer worm that is known to cause popups and advertising for rogue antispyware programs, and sporadically other misbehavior including performance degradation and denial of service with some websites including Google and Facebook. It also is used to deliver other malware to its host computers. Later versions include rootkits and ransomware.

In Windows NT operating systems, a Windows service is a computer program that operates in the background. It is similar in concept to a Unix daemon. A Windows service must conform to the interface rules and protocols of the Service Control Manager, the component responsible for managing Windows services. It is the Services and Controller app, services.exe, that launches all the services and manages their actions, such as start, end, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Installer CleanUp Utility</span>

The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility was a software utility for the Microsoft Windows operating system designed to solve uninstallation problems of programs that use the Windows Installer technology. It looks up registry references and files related to Windows Installer that were installed by various programs, and forcibly wipes invalid entries out. It works in all 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messenger Plus!</span> Software add-on for Windows Live Messenger and Skype

Messenger Plus! is an add-on for Windows Live Messenger and Skype. The software provides additional functionality to Microsoft's Instant messaging client, Windows Live Messenger, by adding its own controls to the main interface. These controls affect Messenger's behaviour and appearance, often through additional dialog boxes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disk Cleanup</span> Computer maintenance utility

Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe) is a computer maintenance utility included in Microsoft Windows designed to free up disk space. It was introduced in Windows 98 and has been a part of Microsoft Windows ever since.

Norton CleanSweep, originally released by Quarterdeck in 1995, is a software application designed to aid in the removal of installed programs on Microsoft Windows. Quarterdeck was acquired by Symantec in 1998.

A .ZAP File is a text file, which allows the publishing of an application to a user on a Microsoft Windows system, for applications for which a .MSI file does not exist. It is used in Active Directory Domains and is installed using a Group Policy.

Norton PC Checkup was a program downloaded either separately or as a bundle with updates to Adobe Flash, provided to enable users to perform a system checkup of their Microsoft Windows based personal computers. It was launched by Symantec in October 2008.

ZSoft Uninstaller is a software utility developed by ZSoft Software for Microsoft Windows operating systems. When users delete programs using the default uninstaller, it often fails to remove all associated files and registry entries. ZSoft Uninstaller addresses this issue by capturing snapshots of the hard drive and registry before and after program installations, facilitating complete program removal.

Norton 360 was an "all-in-one" security suite for the consumer market developed by Symantec. Originally released in 2006, it was discontinued in 2014; its features were carried over to its successor, Norton Security. However, in 2019, Symantec released a "NEW Norton 360", as a product replacement for Norton Security.

References

  1. "Uninstalling Software". SmartComputing . Vol. 5, no. 8. August 1999.
  2. 1 2 "History of Uninstall". Septium. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  3. Norman, Jan (January 12, 2009). "Can firms start with low cost and instant customers?". The Orange County Register. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  4. "History of Uninstall". March 23, 1992.
  5. Lohr, Steve (March 27, 1995). "Information Technology; Minds Behind the Product". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2015.